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Overhead shot of pasta with a tomatoey sauce, sun dried tomatoes and sliced fresh basil in a large pan on a pale green background.
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5 from 6 votes

Easy Sun Dried Tomato Pasta

This easy, quick, yummy sun dried tomato pasta is packed with protein from broad beans and tasty veg. It’s the perfect summery pasta dish.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time20 minutes
Course: mains, meal prep
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 5
Calories: 444kcal
Author: Mimi Harrison
Cost: £0.88

Ingredients

  • 1 white onion, diced (£0.16)
  • 75 g sun-dried tomatoes (£2.00/2)=(£1.00)
  • 3 cloves garlic (£0.40)
  • 2 tbsp tomato puree £0.65
  • 400 g penne (£0.41)
  • 400 g 1 tin (240g drained weight) butter beans (£0.75)
  • 100 g spinach (£1.00/2)=(£0.50)
  • Fresh basil (£0.55)

Cupboard Essentials

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 200 ml vegetable stock
  • Salt & Pepper
  • Chilli flakes/red pepper flakes
Metric - US Standard

Instructions

  • Start by adding the onion and sun-dried tomatoes into a non-stick frying pan with 1 tbsp of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper (& and an extra sprinkle of chilli flakes) and gently fry for 5 minutes. Add the tomato puree and the garlic half way through and fry for a couple of minutes.
  • During this time, add your penne to boiling salted pasta water. Set your timer to the packet time minus 2 minutes. Before draining, reserve a mug full of pasta water.
  • Transfer the sun dried tomato/onion mix from the frying pan into a blender along with the butterbeans and stock. Pour back into your frying pan along with the undercooked pasta.
  • Add the spinach at this stage and continue to cook for 2 minutes, adding a few ladles of pasta water to loosen the sauce.
  • Serve with some fresh basil and optional chilli flakes. You could also add a few extra slices of sun-dried tomato for texture and flavour.

Notes

  • Salt the pasta water for flavour and to prevent sticking.
  • Use sun-dried tomato oil for extra flavour in other recipes.
  • Keep the pasta water in the fridge to add to the pasta when reheating.
  • Enhance the flavour with parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning.

Nutrition

Calories: 444kcal | Carbohydrates: 85g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 467mg | Potassium: 1048mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 2125IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 79mg | Iron: 5mg